Hairpin



July 2, 1957 w. WILUAMS HAIRPIN Filed Jan. 6, 1956 -a /a /9 4/ l a 9 /z f T $6 20 v I z3 INVENTOR mlliam WiZZz'ams ATTORNEY United States Patent 7O HAIRPIN William Williams, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Application January 6, 1956, Serial No. 557,770 7 6 Claims. (Cl. 132-40 This invention relates to an improved hairpin of the hobby pin type formed of a single strand "of a resilient material and whichis retained-in engagement with the hair'by a resilient clasping action.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved construction of hairpin or bobbyipin which due to novel structural features eliminates thecrimps conventionally utilized in'bobby pins so that the hair may be more readily engaged with or disengaged from'a hairpin or bobby pin.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hairpin or'bobbypi'n having portions which uniquely coact to cause other portions ofthe hairpin to be resiliently urged towardbneanotherand whereby the latter, hair engaging portions, will grip the hair with an adequate clasping action to prevent accidental release of the hair from the hairpin.

Various other'objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the pin;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof;

' Figure 3 is-an-enlarged fragmentary side elevatiqnal view of the intermediate portionof the hairpin, and

Figure 4"is an enlargedendelevational view looking toward the looped endof the pin or from left toright of Figure-l. 1

Referring more specifically to the drawing; the improved hairpin or hobby pin in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 5 and is formed from a single elongated strand of a resilient material which may be of any desired cross sectional shape. The strand forming the hobby pin 5 is bent back upon itself substantially intermediate of its ends to provide a loop 6, constituting one end of the pin and from which project the two legs, designated generally 7 and 8. Said legs 7 and 8 are spring biased toward one another by the resiliency of the loop 6. The leg 7, as best illustrated in Figure 1, is bowed longitudinally from end-to-end thereof in a direction inwardly or toward the other leg 8.

The leg 8 includes a substantially straight portion 9 which extends from the loop 6 and which terminates in a modified V-shaped portion 10 which projects from the axis of the leg 8 toward the leg 7. The outer side of the apex 11 normally bears against a portion of the leg 7, as seen in Figure 1. A shorter arm 12 of the portion 10 extends between the apex 11 and the adjacent end of the leg portion 9 and the other longer arm 13 of the V- shaped portion 10 extends outwardly a substantial distance from the apex 11 in a direction away from the leg 7. The leg 8 includes a straight portion 14 which extends inwardly from the outer end of the arm 13 toward the leg 7 and which terminates in spaced apart relation thereto. Said arm portions 13 and 14 combine to form a V-shaped portion which is inverted relative to the V-shaped portion 10 and which last mentioned V-shaped portion, designated generally 15, like 2,797,694 Patented July 2, 1957 the V-shaped portion 10, includes a long arm and a short arm. Thus, the arms 12 and 14 of the V-shaped portions 10 and 15, respectively, substantially correspond with one another and are disposed nearly parallel and the longer arm 13, which is interposed therebetween, constitutes an arm common to both of said oppositely facing V-shaped portions.

The leg 8, remote from the inwardly opening V-shaped portion 15 and adjacent the free end of said leg, is pro-: vided with an inwardly opening V-shapedportion, designated generally 16, including an inner shorter arm 17 and an outer longer arm 18. The arm 17 corresponds substantially to the arm 14'and. the arm 18 corresponds substantially to the arm 13. Said arms '14 and 17 are dis posed between the longer arms 13 and 18. The leg 8 terminates in a substantially straight terminal portion 19 which constitutes substantially a right'angulartextension of the other end of the arm 18, which is located remote from'the arm 17.' Said terminal portion 19 projects from the arm 18Iin diverging relation to the terminal portion 20'of the leg 7 and combines therewith to form an outwardly flared throat 21. The terminal portion'20 preferably. extends somewhat beyond'the terminal portion19, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The outer side-of the apex 22' formed by the arm 18 and terminal portion 19 constitutes a second apex which like the'apex 11, bears against a portion of the leg The leg s'additionally includes an elongated substantially straight intermediate portion 23 which extends between and merges integrally at its endswith thecomplementary adjacent ends of the arms 14' and 17. ThCVe-ShflfJCd portions 10, afnd 15,.comprisean innercrimped portion of thelegSand the v shapedpiortion 16 and terminalzlfl constitute an-out'er crirnped portionofsaid leg-,-.which crimped'portions are"connected'by the intermediateportion: V p m From the foregoing it will'be readily apparent that the legs 7- and 8 ofthe hairpin 5 maybe readilyspread apart by grasping-the terminal portions 20 and'19, respectively,- thereof; so that a lockor other mass of hair, not shown, may be readily entered between the legs 7 and;& and claspedtightly between the intermediate leg portion 23 and the complementary portion 24 of the. leg7, whi ch is disposed between the apexes 11 and 22 and the intermediate part of which engages said leg portion 23. When the legs 7 and 8 are thus spread apart for engaging a mass of hair, the spreading thereof occurs between the leg terminals 20 and 19 and the apex 11 and the portion of the leg 7 normally engaged thereby, so that said apex 11 will provide a stop to prevent the hair entering the closed end of the bobby pin, between said apex 11 and the loop 6. Thus, the resiliency afforded by the loop 6 will not be adversely affected by hair wedged between the legs adjacent the loop.

It will also be readily apparent that the apexes 11 and 22 engage the leg 7 at points relatively near to the ends of the pin 5, as compared to the spacing between the points 11 and 22, so that in addition to the biasing action of the loop 6 tending to urge the legs 7 and 8 to-- ward one another, the inwardly bowed longitudinal configuration of the leg 7 will be increased by contact of the apexes 11 and 22 with the leg 7, so that the portion 24 thereof, disposed between the points 11 and 22, will be bowed inwardly and toward the portion 23 to even a greater extent than would occur due to the normal contour of the leg 7. Thus, the portions 23 and 24 between which the hair is gripped will be urged toward tight frictional engagement with the hair. Additionally, the portion 23 which is normally substantially straight will be bowed to some extent by contact with the portion 24 so that said portions 23 and 24 will assume more nearly conforming shapes, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. This 3 conformable shaping of the portions 23 and 24 will be augmented by the hair clampedtherebetween.

Further, the apex 22 will function in the same manner as the apex 11 to prevent slippage of the hair back into the throat 21 to thus prevent accidental release of the bobbypinJf m Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A hairpin of the bobby pin type formed from a single strand of resilient material comprising a first leg, a second leg and a loop portion, said loop portion defining a closed end of the pin from which said legs project and by which said legs are spring biased toward one another, said first leg being longitudinally bowed substantially from end-to-end thereof inwardly and toward the second leg, said second leg having longitudinally spaced apex portions bearing against longitudinally spaced portions of the first leg, said second leg including an elongated substantially straight intermediate portion disposed between said apex portions, end portions of which are spaced from adjacent portions of the first leg and an intermediate part of which is normally disposed in resilient engagement with an intermediate part of the first leg.

2. A hairpin of the bobby pin type formed from a single strand of resilient material comprising a first leg, a second leg and a loop portion, said loop portion defining a closed end of the pin from which said legs project and by which said legs are spring biased toward one another, said first leg being longitudinally bowed substantially from end-to-end thereof inwardly and toward the second leg, said second leg having longitudinally spaced apex portions bearing against longitudinally spaced portions of the first leg, said second leg including a substantially straight intermediate portion disposed between said apex portions, end portions of which are spaced from adjacent portions of the first leg and an intermediate part of which is normally disposed in resilient engagement with an intermediate part of the first leg, said second leg having inner and outer substantially V-shaped portions opening away from the first leg and constituting said apex portions, said second leg including inwardly opening substantially V-shaped portions interposed between the ends of said intermediate portion of the second leg and said first mentioned V-shaped portions and each having an inner arm merging with said intermediate portion of the second leg and which is spaced from an adjacent portion of the first leg.

3. A hairpin as in claim 2, one arm of the first mentioned outer V-shaped portion constituting the terminal of the second leg and being disposed in outwardly diverging relation to the distal end of the first leg and combining therewith to form a flared entrance throat of the pin.

4. A hairpin as in claim 3, said second leg having a substantially straight portion extending from the loop and merging with an arm of the first mentioned inner V- shaped portion.

5. A pin of the character described formed from a single strand of resilient material comprising a first leg, a second leg and a loop portion, said loop portion defining a closed end of the pin, said legs extending from said loop portion and being spring biased thereby toward one another, said first leg being longitudinally bowed inwardly and toward the second leg, said second leg having longitudinally spaced crimped portions each including an inwardly extending apex, said apexes bearing against longitudinally spaced portions of the first leg for spacing other portions of the second leg, disposed between said apexes, from the first leg, said second leg having a substantially straight portion disposed between and connected to said crimped portions and spaced from said apexes and engaged by a contiguous portion of the first leg between and spaced from the ends of said straight portion.

6. A pin as in claim 5, said portion of the first leg disposed between said apexes being tensioned by contact of the apexes with the first leg for urging said first leg portion into tight frictional contact with the portion of the second leg contiguous therewith and whereby said portion of the second leg is deformed by the tension of said first leg portion into substantial conformable engagement therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 708,959 Harrison Sept. 9, 1902 730,080 Barcus June 2, 1903 1,823,685 Haims Sept. 15, 1931 1,855,811 Weissenborn Apr. 26, 1932 2,396,367 Gaylord et al Mar. 12, 1946 2,466,621 Tardiff Apr. 5, 1949 

